


Forever Love

by dgdreamer



Series: The End is the Beginning [12]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, F/M, Fluff and Feels, It's a snarkfest for awhile, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony wants a party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 10:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15168851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dgdreamer/pseuds/dgdreamer
Summary: Tony Stark wants a party and leaves Lauren to plan it. She has an idea for a V-E theme but wants to make it a little more special for Steve. A story that starts with Avengers banter and ends with memories of Peggy Carter.





	Forever Love

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a larger work that I am still putting together but posted today in honor of Steve Rogers 100th Birthday (MCU remember). Lauren is a character that is now part of the team under the revived auspices of SHIELD. Coulson and Fury just have too much to do to deal with these personalities. 
> 
> I will be posting more chapters featuring Lauren when I get far enough ahead so I can ensure regular uploads. 
> 
> Title comes from a song recorded by Reba McEntire - https://youtu.be/KJQYTdehtM4

Quiet nights in Avengers Tower were rare and all the more welcome when they did come. There always seemed to be something to occupy everyone’s time. Even when they weren’t out on recon missions or saving the world from whatever threat that proved to be too much for traditional forces to handle, there were still trainings, personal appearances for some of them, and always the PR events that kept the team from enjoying much downtime together. Tonight was one of those nights where almost everyone found themselves with a night with nothing to do and all night to do it, so they took the chance to share a meal and a night in front of the TV.

                “Thanks for dinner, Bruce,” Clint called from the kitcen as he put the last of the plates in the dishwasher. “We’ve eaten so much takeout; I almost forgot what real food tastes like.”

                “Ummmm,” Lauren groaned, “Nobody does Indian food like you, Doctor McFluffy, I didn’t think it was possible to be this full on curry.”

“Doctor McFluffy?” Bruce questioned, raising his eyes from the StarkPad he had been reading.

“We’ve been watching _Grey’s Anatomy_ again with Steve. She says it’s to help him catch up on pop culture, but I think it’s just so she can ogle those men that play the doctors,” Bucky teased her, Lauren’s legs from the loveseat before sitting down, draping them back over his lap so she could recline against the armrest.

“Sorry?” Bruce shifted in his armchair, “I guess you can call me Steve tonight. I’ve heard of the show, but I don’t get the reference.”

“Dr. McDreamy and Dr. McSteamy… it’s what they call two of the characters from the show… so he’s Dr. McFluffy.” Clint came in laughing, throwing himself across the back of the chair where Natasha had perched, stealing the remote control from her with a quick move. She glared at him for a few seconds, then smiled slightly to let him know that he never would have done it if she had wanted to keep it.

“I have enjoyed learning of this part of Midgardian culture, as well, although I still do not understand why people would want to spend hours viewing such suffering with no purpose. I have much more preferred our evenings with _Game of Thrones_.” Thor rumbled from his sprawl on the opposite sofa. He took up a lot of room normally, but when he decided to manspread, he could occupy more than half of the large piece of furniture.

“Please tell me you watched that with Steve,” Natasha smiled fully, “I really need to know how many shades of red that man’s skin can achieve.”

“Lady Lauren has not invited the Captain to share in these evenings,” Thor answered, “she insists that ‘the grandpas are not ready for this yet.’” He winked at Lauren, knowing full well the reaction the reference would get from Bucky.

“Still callin’ me ‘grandpa’ doll? I thought we’d settled that… maybe you need a reminder. Let’s race to the gym.” His metal arm reached under her to heave her up.

“No, NO! I’m too stuffed… Stop! Bucky! I’m sorry – you’re not a grandpa. Not technically anyway.” Lauren was laughing and struggling against his grip. He grinned at her and let her fall back to the loveseat. When they settled in again, she finished. “You’re more like the age of my great-grandpa…” her giggle was replaced with squeals as Bucky reached for one of the few ticklish spots she had on her body.

Everyone in the room looked at them, half-amused and half-fascinated. To see them being so physical with one another and for him to laugh and play with her was odd. Almost no one touched the former Winter Soldier, and those that did were cautious. For some reason, Lauren was able to break through to the man that he had been before his capture so many years before.

“Uncle! Uncle!” Lauren gasped, tears streaming from her eyes. Once she caught her breath, she leaned up to smack a loud kiss on Bucky’s cheek. “I kid because I care, you know I love you like the big brother I never wanted.”

It took a minute, but everyone dissolved into laughter at the look on Bucky’s face as her words hit him. Another minute later found Lauren dumped on the floor in front of the loveseat, a tangle of arms and legs, and Bucky stretched across it’s expanse with his feet propped on the armrest where she had been leaning. She stood up with a sound of amused dismissal and without another sound sat squarely in the middle of his stomach, settling back as if he was nothing more than a large lump in the cushions. They stayed that way for several minutes, everyone waiting to see what would happen next until it was clear that their strange sibling squabble was over and there would be no need to intervene.

“So,” Clint held up the remote, “what’s it gonna be? And, NO, on _Grey’s Anatomy_ or _Supernatural_ ,” he interrupted Lauren before she could do more than take a breath before speaking. “I have no desire to sit here and watch you and Nat fangirl over those fake-ass heroes who don’t really do anything. Seriously, who fights like that and doesn’t come out with a scratch?” He fingered the bandage that lay across his nose lightly that marked where he had broken it yet again.

“Awwww… are you jealous, honey? You know I only have eyes for you and your sweet little battered face.” Lauren exaggeratedly fluttered her eyelashes at him and blew him a kiss. He drew back his armed, throw pillow aimed at her head when Natasha smoothly knocked him from his perch, taking the remote from his hand before he hit the floor. With the press of a few buttons, the familiar sounds of the _Outlander_ theme filled the room.

“Please, no!” came a chorus of male voices, minus Thor. Lauren and Natasha shared a cheeky grin as they settled in, Lauren finally getting off Bucky and reclaiming her place on the loveseat.

“What? It’s not the Docs or the Demon fighters,” Natasha started.

“Oh, this might even be better,” Lauren interjected, “ummm… who could resist kilts, claymores, and that accent. Nice!” If she had been sitting closer, she would have high-fived the other woman.

“What are we, a dish of haggis?” a voice with a terrible rendition of a Scottish burr carried into the room over the sounds of the battle scene coming from the television. A scene Thor was watching with rapt attention. “You’d think we’d get a little more respect here, wouldn’t you guys, we’re not bad specimens of masculinity.” Tony vaulted over the edge of the sofa to take up the space left by Thor, who had shifted nearer the massive television.

“Yeah, I guess some of you do have your charms… if you like grease monkeys, that is,” Lauren wrinkled her nose at his appearance. He’d obviously been locked away in his workshop for some time based on the state of his hair, face, and clothes, “but how do you look in a kilt?” she lifted her brows.

“Freakin’ awesome!” he replied quickly, “I have great legs!”

Lauren decided not to pursue that line of thought any further. The man’s ego didn’t need help, and she didn’t want to see evidence of his great legs. “So, you missed dinner – did you just come out here to grace us with your fragrance?”

“Rude. Are you saying I stink?” he stopped himself, finally taking stock of his state. “Okay, I could probably use a shower, and some food, and some sleep… but first, I have an announcement.” He raised a finger as if to make a point.

“They finally know how to do a personality transplant.” Clint deadpanned, earning him a nasty look from Tony.

“No! and just for that, no new mega-exploding miniature arrows for you,” Tony responded.

“AWWWW…” Clint whined.

Ignoring Clint’s pleading look, Tony continued. “Ladies and gentlemen, Spring is in the air, and the repairs on the Tower are done! We need a party to welcome one and christen the other. I’m thinking classical theme. Greco-Roman or something, with…”

Everyone in the room, with the exception of Thor who was still watching Outlander and loved Tony’s “revels” anyway, groaned audibly. There were all just recovering from the last mission that had unexpectedly gone pear-shaped when one of the newer recruits had made a bad decision on the field. Steve was still dealing with the fallout at the upstate facility and so was missing their night in.

“Tony, we are not having some ‘Rite of Spring’ thing, so you have a legitimate excuse to play Bacchus and reveal those awesome legs of yours, or more,” Lauren warned him, “Pepper was ready to cut off all our expense accounts after the last celebration. An intercontinental bar crawl sounded like a good idea, but probably wasn’t your best plan.”

“Well, Sherlock, since you seem to have ideas of what we shouldn’t do, how about I leave it to you to decide what we should do. Just a warning though, I’ve already scheduled our ‘Ides of March’ Toga Party for next year, so you can’t use that idea.” Tony finished with his trademark grin, moving to leave the room.

“HAIL CAESAR!” Natasha called after him.

He paused, only slightly turning his head toward her. “Et tu, Naté?” he replied, chuckling at his own wit.

When he disappeared from view, Lauren stretched her head back with a moan. “How do I get myself into these things?!” She now had to plan an epic, Stark worthy, party that none of them really wanted in the first place. How did her job with SHIELD turn into event planning?

 

__________________________________

 

Quiet nights in Avengers Tower were rare, and after their night of dinner and television, things returned to their usual chaos. A minor Asian terrorist group suddenly became a key player in the region with the addition of some stolen tech and smuggled Chitauri weapons. By the time the threat had been neutralized, and things had settled down every member of the team had been called in to help. Lauren, alone in the Tower, manning the communications and logistics with Agent Hill and Director Coulson, had almost forgotten about Tony’s idea. She didn’t want to think about planning anything other than a long, hot bath and an even longer sleep. She was reminded when Natasha showed up for their traditional post-mission drink.

“So, what’s the theme for our next Starkstravaganza? Do we need to go shopping?” Nat prompted.

“Damn, Nat! Like I’ve been able to do party planning with all you guys halfway around the globe almost getting killed every five minutes. I haven’t given it much thought. And, please, never refer to one of Tony’s gatherings like that again. He’ll try to trademark it or something, I’m sure.” Lauren dropped her head to her hands, feeling the need to completely relax for the first time in days. “I have no ideas right now, Nat. I’m tired and trying to figure out how to top all the things that Stark has already come up with is a challenge on a good day. FRIDAY, a little help… What is today’s date?”

“Today is April 30, ma’am. It is 10:49 pm” The AI responded.

“So, what important dates are coming up that we can build a theme around. Let’s look at the next two weeks and disregard those ridiculous days that have to do with food and hobbies, please.” Lauren waited while the various days in recognition of occupations and events were listed off. She sat up suddenly as FRIDAY began reciting the items for May 8.

“Wait! FRIDAY, - please go over that one again… did you say it was V-E Day?” Lauren asked excitedly.

“Yes, ma’am. It is the day that commemorates the surrender of the German forces to the Allies in World War II, although it is not generally celebrated as heartily as it once was. I can…” Lauren interrupted the rest of the phrase.

“No. I think I have it.” A half a plan began forming in her mind. She took a few moments to gather her thoughts before turning to the other woman. “Nat, I have an idea, but I need your opinion. You’ve known Steve and Bucky longer than I have, and the last thing I would every want to do is hurt them or cause a problem. If you think this won’t work, or if it’s just plain awful, you’ve got to let me know, okay?”

Her only answer was a quick twist of the Russians lips and a slightly raised eyebrow that said honesty would be the only thing she could ever expect from her friend. “I think I already know where you’re going, and it might be good for them… maybe even for all of us. Pepper might even approve if you do it right. This one might even make Fury show some emotion.”

Two hours, a call to Pepper Potts (sorry it’s so late, but we’ve got to get moving on this), and a bottle of Tony’s best vodka later, a plan was in motion, and the ladies finally settled down for some much-deserved sleep. Thanks to a few emails to SI’s killer event staff and a promise to vendors of future Stark and Avengers business, things were falling into place. The day of the party, everyone received deliveries of their assigned outfits for the evening, with strict instructions not to open anything until they had a team meeting.

“I know everyone is wondering what we’re doing tonight. Putting together a Stark-level party is not for the faint of heart,” she laughed a bit, looking pointedly at Tony, “but I think we are all going to enjoy ourselves tonight. You should have all received your outfits by now. Pepper and I have chosen them carefully, so I’m sure everyone will be happy. Please, wear them,” she sent a glare around the room, “if you come in anything else, I will take it very, very personally.” Lauren waited for the space of a few heartbeats to let her words sink in. “We will all meet right back here at 8 pm. Don’t be late. James, I will need your help with something, can you stay here for a minute once everyone leaves?”

With this, the team drifted out…

 

 ______________________________________

 

A knock sounded on the door at exactly 7:40, heralding Bucky’s arrival. Lauren smoothed the skirt of her red A-line dress and took a deep breath preparing for what she was about to do. Opening the door to a cleanly shaven, uniformed figure that looked like he had stepped from the pages of her history books rendered Lauren speechless. His wide smile told her how much her reaction showed on her face and she laughed just a little when she said, “Right on time, Sergeant,” allowing him to step into her apartment while she went to retrieve her small clutch purse.

“Doll, I don’t know if it’s the right thing to say, but you look damn beautiful in that dress. You’re the kind of dame I would have really gone for back in the day.” He took in the picture she made, with her hair pinned and curled in a way that seemed to defy gravity as it hung on her shoulders, bringing the eye to the sweetheart neckline of her dress. The red lipstick was something he’d never seen on her before, but it made the wicked smile she gave him seem much bigger. “I think I’m going to have to be a good big-brother and beat all the guys off with a stick tonight.”

“Don’t you dare, James Buchannan Barnes! I’m hoping this get-up helps me get lucky tonight!” she teased back. “But first, we have something to do.” She sounded a bit more serious now, hoping that her plan wouldn’t blow up spectacularly in her face. “Did you tell Steve that I wanted him in the common room at 7:45?”

“He’ll be there… told him you needed to say something to him before we all left. You ready?” He held out his arm for her to take.

The elevator doors opened at promptly 7:45 to a startled Steve Rogers. He stood near one of the tall windows looking out over the city, dressed in a uniform like one he had last worn 70 years previously. He looked uncomfortable and anxious and approached the pair walking into the room together slowly, looking at them with a question in his eyes. Lauren let go of Bucky’s arm and approached Steve with a smile.

“Hi, soldier! Before the others get here, I wanted to tell you the theme of this party and why I chose it. Right now, all I want you to do is listen; then, when I’m finished, you can either tell me this was a good idea and plan to have fun tonight or tell me I made a terrible mistake and stay here. Okay?” Lauren waited for his response, which came with only a nod of his head.

“When I started thinking about what kind of party to have, I was reminded that today, May 8, is V-E Day. The day when we used to celebrate the surrender of the Nazis – something you helped make happen… and … that you and Bucky never actually got to celebrate. This day that might not have happened if it hadn’t been for what you did. So, tonight, we are going to celebrate like it’s 1945. We are going to drink, and dance, and enjoy the fact that we are all alive and together and making a family out of what we have. We’re going to remember those we’ve lost, and we’re going to celebrate the fact that we knew them and loved them and that we will always have something of them with us. So, do you think you can party like it’s 1945?” Lauren finished with a smile.

Eyes shining with unshed tears, Steve walked to Lauren and pulled her into a fierce hug. It wasn’t until someone cleared his throat that they separated. “Doll, I think you may be the ‘Woman with the Plan’ around here now,” he smiled down at her. “Buck, did you know about this?” he quietly asked his friend.

“Not until today, punk. She wanted to give me a heads-up and get me to help her with this.” Bucky grinned back.

“Steve, I have one more thing I want to say, and something I want you to do for me before the others get here. First, I’m going to tell you something that no one here knows other than Coulson and Fury. You see, I knew more about you than what they teach in the history books before I was even old enough to go to school. I heard it all from a source close to both of us. Because Peggy Carter was my mom’s godmother and she told me stories about what you did all the time.” Both Bucky and Steve looked a little shocked at that. “That seems really weird to say out loud since you still look so young, but she was, and you see, once I overheard her talking with my parents about the last day you… she was so sad, and she said something about regretting that you two never got that dance. I’ve never forgotten that, even though I wasn’t meant to hear it. So, when I knew what I was going to do tonight, I also knew there was something else we needed to do. You see, I live with a regret too. Someone I may have had a future with didn’t come home to me… and we never had a chance.”

“So, soldier! I know I’m not her, and you’re not him. I might be a poor substitute for the real thing, but I wonder if you’d just do me a favor… can we stand in for them for just a few minutes? We both deserve the chance we never got, so can we just pretend for this one dance that forever is possible?” Lauren looked at him with a mixture of expectation and sadness, seeing something similar in Steve’s face.

“I don’t dance very well, doll.” He stated simply but held out his arms for her anyway. Just as she stepped into him, the music started. It was a song of love and separation and hope that springs eternal even when all seems lost. The danced slowly, not looking at one another, but into a past full of shared disappointments and lost dreams. Bucky stood quietly by, not wanting to share in this moment, but finding himself unable to look away.

When the rest of the team came into the common room, they wondered about the music that was playing. When they saw the couple dancing near the windows, they could almost believe they had all be transported back in time. No one spoke as they listened to the words being crooned from a female voice:

Minutes and hours and years may go by  
But my heart knows nothing of time  
So don't cry just keep me right here in your dreams  
And hold on to these words of mine

Forever love  
I promise you  
Someday we'll be together  
Forever love  
I won't give up  
No matter what  
I'll be waiting for you  
Forever love

 

                When the music ended, Lauren and Steve smiled at one another and slowly parted, but not before Lauren reached onto tiptoe to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, soldier!” she whispered before turning and making her way wordlessly toward the elevator.

 


End file.
